How To Build Relationships
Listen, listen, listen until you feel you cannot stand it anymore and then listen some more. Listening builds relationships. Listen with understanding and empathy. Work for understanding, not agreement. Stand in the other's shoes. Try to understand the world from the other person's point of view. Imagine what it would be like to see the world from their perspective and based on their experiences. Start your meetings with check-ins. Take time to get to know one another beyond names and titles. Talk about hopes and aspirations. Talk about fears and apprehensions. Discover the unique resources that each individual brings. Even if your group has been meeting for some time, take time to find out what is going on with each person. Listen to whatever is on their minds before you begin the meeting. Allow time for depth. Many organizations begin their gatherings with introductions and activities known as icebreakers. But because the business leaders are in a hurry to get on with "real" business, these activities often lack depth, cutting short the time necessary to really break the ice. Consequently, the meeting starts out on a shaky foundation. If the organization spent more time building relationships and connecting members with one another before starting work on the stated purpose of the meeting, people would build a solid foundation for that work and it would proceed more smoothly. Additionally, connection occurs throughout a process, not just in the first five minutes. Having time to explore issues and develop relationships throughout the meeting is essential. Legitimize the personal. Create time and activities that support the expression of personal feelings. The personal is so illegitimate in today's business environment that you would have to go a long way before you crossed the boundaries of inappropriate disclosure. The Axelrod Group, 723 Laurel Avenue, Wilmette, Illinois 60091 Phone: 847.251.7361 Fax: 847.251.7370 |